# The Battle for the Future of Burning Man

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/the-battle-for-the-future-of-burning-man
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/the-battle-for-the-future-of-burning-man.md
Podcast: [KQED's Forum](https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728)
Published: 2026-07-17T19:09:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC6834723846.mp3
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC6834723846.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kqed-s-forum-910728/episodes/the-battle-for-the-future-of-burning-man
Duration seconds: 3284

## Resource

Burning Man turns 40 this year, and its changed dramatically since the first event in San Francisco. The first gathering drew a couple dozen people who gathered to burn an 8-foot wooden effigy at Baker Beach to celebrate the summer solstice. Four decades later, it’s a multi-million dollar operation that every August draws more than 70 thousand people to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. A new HBO documentary called “The Man Will Burn” looks at the staying power of the massive pop-up commune and the struggles to maintain its founding values. We’ll talk with the directors and one of the producers for the series. Guests: Jehane Noujaim, co-director, HBO’s “The Man Will Burn” Vikram Gandhi, co-director, HBO’s “The Man Will Burn” Muriel Soenens, series producer, HBO’s “The Man Will Burn” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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## Transcript

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